Nick Lampson embraces supporter Mandy Albritton of Houston after announcing his candidacy for the newly redrawn 14th congressional district seat, which has been represented for the last 16 years by Rep. Ron Paul. (Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle)

Nearly a decade after a redistricting scheme crafted by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ended the congressional careers of a number of Texas Democrats, the beleaguered party is hoping that a congressional veteran who briefly held DeLay’s old seat can turn a red district blue.

On Monday, former U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson told a crowd of about 40 supporters gathered at Texas City’s city hall that he was running in the newly drawn 14th District “because Congress is too polarized to find solutions to our serious problems, and I was there when we could.”

The district has been represented for the past 16 years by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson. Paul is retiring from Congress.

Lampson, 66, a former tax assessor for Jefferson County, served in the House for four terms before being defeated in 2005 in a redrawn House district that favored the GOP. He ran for office again and won a fifth term in 2006 before being defeated two years later by Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land.

Under the redrawn congressional maps, the 14th District will shift eastward into Jefferson County and has a minority population of about 35 percent.

Although the state’s new congressional redistricting plan still is being contested in the courts, the proposed lines for the 14th District are not expected to change. As drawn, it begins at the Louisiana border and follows the coastline past Freeport. It takes in Jefferson and Galveston counties, both areas Lampson has represented in the past, and part of Brazoria County.

He also co-founded the Center Aisle Caucus, a group of members from both parties who occasionally drank coffee together and discussed policy issues.

“Again, it proved that we can be better when we work together,” Lampson said.

Lampson told his Texas City supporters he would focus on vital coastal issues, including helping to upgrade port facilities to take advantage of Panama Canal expansion, encouraging job growth in the ports and the petro-chemical industry and making sure that the Johnson Space Center remains vital.

“It’s going to be really tough,” said former Texas City Mayor Chuck Doyle, a Lampson supporter. “The way the district has been redrawn makes it extremely difficult, although if people vote for the most qualified, he should win.”